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| No gold chains in sight! |
I'm beginning to think that I am.
Lately I've been doing the CL" cruise."
I set the search parameters by model year only. 1949 to 1973.
The search will produce cars of all makes, in all conditions and at all prices.
The idea is to see if anything pops up that grabs me. The results so far, have not been encouraging.
My Dad used to say that all motorcycles were the same- they all had two wheels!
That used to get me kind of mad, because I thought that he was being dismissive of my interests. But now I can really see his point! Maybe all cars are the same, they all do have four wheels.
Lately I've been doing the CL" cruise."
I set the search parameters by model year only. 1949 to 1973.
The search will produce cars of all makes, in all conditions and at all prices.
The idea is to see if anything pops up that grabs me. The results so far, have not been encouraging.
After reading a series of posts on Curbside Classics about Corvettes awhile back, I started cruising through the Vette listings,
Like almost every car guy, that grew up in the 1960's, Corvettes have always appealed to me
I've never had one though. I had thought about buying an old C4 that I found at Wheels and Deals, but I decided to go home and think about it, my mistake. By the time I got back It was sold.
C4 s are quite common and cheap, but they have finally started to go up in price. The C5, with the cove vent in the front fender is an other favorite of mine. All of these models look fine and are plenty fast enough for me.
They certainly look like real Corvettes.
They make great project cars. Plenty of room for improvements, with a great aftermarket.
There's only a couple of things though.
First of all, I don't know that I really want another two seat car.
Especially a two seater with no room for luggage.
The second thing is, I'm not too keen on is the Corvette image.
Now that is really funny, as if anyone would even notice or care. I'd just be another fat old guy with an old Corvette.
While Corvettes were always something that was aspirational to guys in my generation. It always seemed that they were bought and driven by old men. I guess that they were the only guys that could afford them! Of course back then, a 35 year old was an old man to me. During the mid 1970's the Vette was more about flash and image than substance. The "gold chainer" image started to stick to the Marque. But by the end of the 1990's they had earned their performance cred back.
However they always seem to carry a whiff of middle aged, male desperation.
Actually, I'd be lucky to be middle aged!...Again!
After all this Mustang talk I've still been constantly searching for alternative Mustang solutions.
The times they are a bit rough, but things might be improving soon. So far my family and myself are healthy and I'm thankful for that.
Events of this type make you realize what is really important. Spending a lot of money on an old car isn't one of them.
Being older also adds a different perspective.
Do I really need anything different? I haven't found anything that really lights a fire under me. I remember reading a column by Peter Egan where he admitted that at this point in life, his "automotive heart" couldn't be broken. There is not a car that he has, that cannot be replaced by something else, something as interesting, something different that might be cheaper and easier to acquire. The heat of passion has cooled.
Of course it's always about wants.
But do I even want anything?
A sporty convertible.
Don't I already have two? One, of which I can actually drive! The other I can keep as an artifact. Hey it runs, I can work on it and improve it over time. Best of all, I already own it. And it was cheap. I don't have a lot tied up in it.
A luxury SUV, don't I have one of those too?
I really like that new Lincoln Aviator but don't have an extra 50 grand laying around to spend on a new one. Then how about an older one?
Sure, I see older Aviators and Navigators, for that matter, offered up at good prices. They are nice, but I already have an Explorer that I like.
The times they are a bit rough, but things might be improving soon. So far my family and myself are healthy and I'm thankful for that.
Events of this type make you realize what is really important. Spending a lot of money on an old car isn't one of them.
Being older also adds a different perspective.
Do I really need anything different? I haven't found anything that really lights a fire under me. I remember reading a column by Peter Egan where he admitted that at this point in life, his "automotive heart" couldn't be broken. There is not a car that he has, that cannot be replaced by something else, something as interesting, something different that might be cheaper and easier to acquire. The heat of passion has cooled.
Of course it's always about wants.
But do I even want anything?
A sporty convertible.
Don't I already have two? One, of which I can actually drive! The other I can keep as an artifact. Hey it runs, I can work on it and improve it over time. Best of all, I already own it. And it was cheap. I don't have a lot tied up in it.
A luxury SUV, don't I have one of those too?
I really like that new Lincoln Aviator but don't have an extra 50 grand laying around to spend on a new one. Then how about an older one?
Sure, I see older Aviators and Navigators, for that matter, offered up at good prices. They are nice, but I already have an Explorer that I like.
I was telling my Wife that's my Explorer is a Classic. The first year of an available V8 and the last year for the Windsor 5.0.
I can sit on that until I really need to replace it.
How about a real vintage car?
I wanted something that was "analog" and didn't rely on any electronics to run. No automatic transmission to fuss with.
I think that I've got that covered.
My '51 Jag doesn't have many electrical doo- dads besides the electric fuel pumps.
After all this looking I'm pretty set. Either I fix my Jags- or I don't.
How about a real vintage car?
I wanted something that was "analog" and didn't rely on any electronics to run. No automatic transmission to fuss with.
I think that I've got that covered.
My '51 Jag doesn't have many electrical doo- dads besides the electric fuel pumps.
After all this looking I'm pretty set. Either I fix my Jags- or I don't.
I only want a newer Mustang GT convertible. Maybe another Explorer.
I don't seem to want anything else.
My Dad used to say that all motorcycles were the same- they all had two wheels!
That used to get me kind of mad, because I thought that he was being dismissive of my interests. But now I can really see his point! Maybe all cars are the same, they all do have four wheels.
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